Kerala’s Thiruvathira dance finds stage on the Great Wall of China

Kozhikode: When a 38-member group from Kannur set out on a tour to China, they decided to take a piece of Kerala with them to the Great Wall. It was retired teacher T Suja who suggested, “Why not perform Kerala’s own Thiruvathira there?”

The idea was well received, and on Pooradam day (September 3), six Malayali women performed the traditional dance in set mundu sarees atop the Great Wall of China.

The remaining members of the group, including the men, joined in the Onam celebration by wearing traditional Kerala attire, supporting the performers.
The team, organised by Savari Tours, left on August 29. Although most members were meeting for the first time, they bonded quickly during the trip. A six-member WhatsApp group was formed to coordinate the performance, with Leena Sathyan preparing the choreography. The dancers practised after dinner each night during the trip.

“The performance attracted many foreign visitors, especially Europeans. Several clicked pictures and shot videos,” said Sheeja M L, a primary school teacher from GHSS Neeleswaram near Mukkom, Kozhikode, who was among the performers. “Many seemed fascinated and wanted to know what was special. A couple even stayed till the end, recording the entire performance,” she added.

Apart from Suja, Leena and Sheeja, the other performers were Saleena, a teacher from Kannur, Georgina from Ernakulam, and Pushpa from Kannur. The Thiruvathira lasted about 2.5 minutes on a platform-like area of the Great Wall, chosen carefully to ensure that other visitors were not disturbed.

After the performance, the women changed into comfortable clothes to continue climbing the steps of the Great Wall. Sheeja, who hails from Thiruvambadi in Kozhikode district, travelled with her husband Jolly Joseph, a social worker. The team returned to Kerala on September 4.